Better than most people think

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

*Spoiler/plot- Starwoids, 2001. On 1999, Lines formed outside two Mann's owned theaters in Hollywood and Westwood to see the first Star Wars film Episode 1 first new films in 16 years. Filmmaker Dennis Przywara actually stood in line for 42 days to capture the emotion and drama that event brewed. True fans clashed over a rivalry between the two theater line camps. IN this film you will meet and know many of the fans that participated. Also there are refreshing related Star Wars field trips to Death Valley to see Star Wars filming locations and to Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. Highlighting super fans like the Bobba Fett musician, driver/owner of a custom X-wing car, and the producers of a Star Wars theatrical musical.*Special Stars- 40+ Star Wars fans who waited in a theater line for 42 days to get the first showing tickets of Episode 1.*Theme- Some people are fans and fans make news by acting excessive.*Trivia/location/goofs- Theater lines locations: Mann's Westwood plaza, Westwood Calif and Chinese theater, Hollywood calif. Field trip locations: Death Valley and Lucas Valley CA.*Emotion- A gallant attempt to document a phenomena of film openings in an industry town like Los Angeles. The film is edited confusingly and has no pacing. The director's choice to artificially build some kind of drama by pitting Westwood against Chinese theater line groups did not work to make this a narrative instead of a very flat one dimensional news story piece that will only attract and keep the viewer's interest for a few minutes at most. The film premise is great, but it's way too long and confusing if not a scifi fan.

Yes, I loved it! And I loved it because I was LIVING it! So in a sense, Starwoids is also a video journal for me, at least the parts that had to do with the Chinese Theatre line.The experience was something that was new for all of us to do. I never imagined taking part in a 6 week line event but I did it anyways because hey, why not, what's life without taking some chances and doing something crazy once in a while. In the end, I would not change the experience for the world. We had so much fun out there doing it and we forged friendships that will last a lifetime.I also have something to say to Chris Gavez who wrote a comment here somewhere about how much of a loser we all were.First of all, throughout all 3 line events (one for each prequel), we raised around $70,000 for the Starlight Children's Foundation with the donations we received during each 6 week line-up. Oh yeah, we're losers.And yeah, you can find me on Myspace, Chris, I'm easy to find, just search my first and last name. And go ahead, look at my pictures, see how much of a loser I am with that beautiful girl who happens to be my girlfriend of almost 4 years now. Oh yeah, and you mentioned how we're all virgins too, right? lol Yeah, I think you're the loser, dude. Don't be jealous that we all had fun while you sat home on your ass, always dreaming of doing something fun in life but instead, watched videos of others, like US, and couldn't do anything more than try and talk trash to us online. LOOOOSER!

I should love the subject matter. I love Star Wars, I'm a bit of a nerdy fanboy, I collect the action figures, and I attend midnight showings of any of the movies. But I haven't waited in line. I think if I were younger, and didn't need to work, I'd wait for the fun of it. The truth is that this movie isn't that great. I love certain sections of it. The musical, the figure collectors, and Katie with her X-Wing are all great. The problem is that I find the main players in the movie are not ideal subjects to focus on. The flaws that these people have is in their sense of grandeur, that somehow they are the kings of the fans. The editing is a little annoying too, though I would be pressed to cite an example. I wanted to love this movie, but it's just got too many weaknesses. Good for fans, but otherwise... I wouldn't buy it.

With all the hype and hoopla around the DVD release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, it's easy to forget the amazing frenzy that occurred around the theatrical release of the movie. Waiting a few minutes in line this week at your local retail store or a couple of days for your DVD to arrive from an online retailer just doesn't compare to the Star Wars Fanatics who spent as long as six weeks waiting in line to be the first to see Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Starwoids is a very entertaining look at what it's like to be a Star Wars Fanatic, to not only get caught up in Star Wars frenzy but be a part of it. Watching Starwoids I couldn't help drawing comparisons to Trekkies, a documentary about Star Trek Fandom. While I think Trekkies was a fantastic documentary I enjoyed Starwoids even more. Trekkies felt like it was showing the absurdity of Extreme Fandom while in many ways Starwoids celebrates it. The makers of Starwoids waited in line along side other fans for 42 days, and their film really feels like its 'from the trenches'. Starwoids is introduced by Kevin Smith who also does an interview on the DVD about the influence of Star Wars on his movies (ever thought that Jay and Silent Bob are a lot like C3PO and R2D2?). It's an interesting interview, and I would have liked to have seen even more. So after you watch Star Wars: The Phantom Menace on DVD be sure to check out Starwoids for a great look at the entire movie phenomenon.